The Anatolikan Pantheon
Origins Compared to many religions present on Celtanus, the Anatoliki pantheon is something of an oddity. It completely ignores the formation of Celtanus, and is entirely focused instead on the origins of the dwarven race. It is a religion designed for dwarves. Ancient dwarven lore speaks of the early days of Celtanus, when Enki and Ymir walked alone beneath the gaze of Helio. They lived in a great metal home nestled in the peaks of the highest mountains of the Khorfan range, spending their days creating objects of great beauty. Enki crafted beautiful sets of armor and jewelry, including the fabled Desmos, a wyrdium torc, and Diakopti, Ymir’s armor, forged of adamantium and wyrdium, and inset with the fabled jewel Jorostiarn. Ymir spent his days hunting and exploring, taming and fighting the great wyrms of old. There came a day, however, when a great threat from the south rose up, one who even Ymir could not face. Knowing what he must do, though it pained him greatly, he returned home from battle. Waiting until his wife Enki slept, he murdered her, slicing her up into seventeen pieces. Anguish dulling his pain, Ymir strode to the hearth-fire, drew once more his blade, cut deep into his arm, and filled a cooking pot with his blood. Casting the seventeen pieces into the pot, he then upended it above the fire, showering the burning wood with flesh and blood. Seven of these landed on the wood, and soaked up the heat and power of the fire, growing strong from it. The other ten pieces sank down into the ash, drawing only small amounts of power, but drawing life and stability from the soot. Ymir, his life fading quickly, whispered a father’s command to the seven, ordering them to look out for their younger siblings, and then cast them into the heavens. With his last gasp, he then placed the remaining ten pieces into the world, each in pairs of man and woman, forming the basis of the five great dwarven clans. Thus the seven gods were born into a world of trouble and war. Ull, ever rash and impatient, took up arms and armor forged by Meili, and threw himself against this great threat, referred to only as the Deepness. He was driven back, however, and it was only through Heimdal’s power that Ull’s life was saved. After burning away this corruption, Heimdal entrusted Ull to rest at Meili’s hands and went in search of Nott and Eir. After nearly a day’s fruitless searching, Heimdal finally called out to Nott, who grudgingly revealed himself. After hearing Heimdal’s pleas, Nott admitted that though they could not stand against the Deepness, they might be able to stall it, and save their younger siblings from its wrath. Nott cast his shroud over the Deepness, blinding and confusing it. This was not enough, however, and all would have been for naught had not Eir used her innate abilities to sooth the Deepness, stopping it in its tracks whenever it attempted to spread towards the young dwarven race. It could never be stopped completely, however, and halting it on one front led to creeping advances elsewhere. Desperately working while Nott and Eir bought time, Gersemi, Fulla, and Heimdal, armored with Meili’s latest creations, sought to discover a way to regain land from the Deepness. It seemed that all land that fell under its sway was doomed to never again be blessed by the light of Helio. Ull, healed by this time, looked on as the other gods failed to halt the Deepness. Realizing that his first assault was doomed to failure, he fell back on his tactical mind, and realized his fellow gods had ignored a major resource. Thus, while the pantheon schemed, Ull made his way to the lands of Clan Koragg, a small collection of dwarven villages surrounding a fortress set into the hillside. As the battle between the gods and the Deepness raged only a few miles away, Ull walked amongst the dwarves, warning them of the danger headed their way, but encouraging them, giving them the strength and knowledge needed to face this foe. Soon, King Korfi the Wise mustered his force, one of the largest dwarven forces ever assembled in those early days, and marched out to meet the Deepness. “As the vanguard crested the hill, and I looked out upon the battlefield where the fate of the world would be decided, my courage failed me, and all hope was driven from my body. The valley below was all but obscured, with hordes of black skinned, metal and leather clad foes, bearing a motley collection of cruelly forged weapons. Some bore no weapons at all, relying instead on tusks and claws, while others flew above on leathery wings, screeching enough to drive a man mad and descending upon their foes like creatures from your darkest nightmares. Against this, I had but a thousand dwarves, many of whom had never held a blade before, who were more accustomed to the hoe and pick than the sword and shield. As my heart failed me, and I turned in shame to order the retreat, I felt a sense of calm descend upon me, and saw a mighty dwarf stride out against the horde. Clad in metals that gleamed in the failing light, lit from within by an almost unearthly glow, the man turned, shouldered his massive black shield, and charged the enemy ranks. As the hordes of enemies rushed up to meet him, a howling rent the air, and scythes of water lashed the earth from out of the grey, uncaring sky. The earth rumbled and shook, great chasms gaping open beneath the demons and dragging them beneath the surface. Roots spread up from below, grasping at the horde, tripping and hamstringing them, leaving them to be trampled by those behind. Suddenly a cheer from behind startled me out of my reverie, and I realized I had stood, mouth gaping, at the scene before me. “Come on men, charge!” I yelled out, and drawing my sword, rushed into the fray, determined to make safe my town, or die in the attempt.”'' Unfortunately, even the combined might of the Anatoliki pantheon and the Koragg clan proved unable to win victory. The majority of the dwarves were forced to evacuate their ancestral homelands, and watched as all those who could not escape were run down and devoured by the Deepness. The atrocities witnessed that day added another title to the demon army, which became known as the Hunger. Thus the dwarves and their gods fought a running battle over the next few years, with Eir and Meili soothing the wounds of the injured, supplying their forces, and the rest of the pantheon locked in struggle with the forces of the Brightprince. Finally, after five years of unending war, machines from Old Derult, a major world power at the time, sent forces to aid in the struggle. Even this proved not to be enough, and it was only with aid from Magoi, the latest addition to the pantheon, an arrival from the far west, that the balance was finally tipped. Magoi’s familiarity with the workings of the universe, and his raw power, allowed the Anatoliki to drive back the Brightprince’s hordes, culminating in the Shattering of Light, or the death of the Brightprince, and his interring. High Gods Lesser Deities and Cults Adoption of Gods Category:Nationbuilder IV: Celtanus